The Tokyo Anime Award Festival (TAAF) has announced its 2025 winners, with Look Back and Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End taking home the top honors in their respective categories. The festival, which celebrates excellence in the animation industry, revealed its recipients on Friday, January 31st, 2025.
‘Look Back’ Wins Best Animated Film
Look Back, a critically acclaimed animated film, has been awarded the Best Animated Film of the year by TAAF. The film, directed by Kiyotaka Oshiyama, captivated audiences and critics alike with its unique storytelling and visual style. Oshiyama was also recognized individually, receiving the Director Category Award for his work on Look Back.
‘Frieren’ Claims Best Television Anime
Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, a popular television anime series, secured the Best Television Anime award. The series, known for its compelling characters and narrative, has garnered significant attention since its debut, cementing its place as a standout anime of the year. In addition to the series win, Evan Call received the Sound/Performance Category Award for his work as music composer on Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End.
Other Notable Award Winners
While Look Back and Frieren took the top prizes, the festival also recognized other significant contributions to the animation industry. Birth of Kitaro: The Mystery of GeGeGe had a strong showing at this year’s awards.
Individual Award Winners
Several talented individuals were honored for their outstanding work:
- Original Work/Screenplay Category: Hiroyuki Yoshino (Birth of Kitaro: The Mystery of GeGeGe)
- Animator Category: Tōko Yatabe (Birth of Kitaro: The Mystery of GeGeGe)
- Background/Coloring/Visual Category: Mai Ichioka (Birth of Kitaro: The Mystery of GeGeGe)
- Sound/Performance Category: Evan Call (Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End)
- Director Category: Kiyotaka Oshiyama (Look Back)
Fan Favorite
The Anime Fan Award, determined by popular vote, went to Birth of Kitaro: The Mystery of GeGeGe with 21,316 fan votes. This demonstrates the strong connection the film made with audiences.
TAAF 2025 Lifetime Achievement Awards
The festival also recognized individuals who have made significant contributions to the animation industry throughout their careers. The Lifetime Achievement Awards were announced on November 28th and the recipients are:
Producers
- Masami Iwasaki (Moomin, New Moomin, Mobile Suit Gundam – The Movie Trilogy)
- Takayuki Yoshii (Mashin Hero Wataru, Dirty Pair, Crusher Joe: The Movie)
Animators
- Kazuhide Tomonaga (Lupin III: Part II, The Cat Returns, Castle in the Sky)
Color Designers
- Sachiko Nonaka (Ghost in the Shell, Shin chan, Doraemon films)
Editors
- Shūichi Kakesu (Ghost in the Shell, Jin-Roh – The Wolf Brigade, Cowboy Bebop: The Movie)
Music Directors
- Seiji Suzuki (Soreike! Anpanman, Lupin III: Part II, Golgo 13)
About the Tokyo Anime Award Festival
The Tokyo Anime Award Festival (TAAF) is an international animation film festival that has been running since 2014. It evolved from the “Tokyo International Anime Fair”, which was held since 2002. TAAF’s mission is to discover and support new creators, promote animation culture worldwide, and highlight high-quality and original animation films from all over the world.
Selection Criteria
The awards are judged by top industry professionals, including producers, creators, media experts, and anime merchandise retailers. The selection criteria for the 2025 awards considered titles that debuted in whole or in part between October 1, 2023, and September 30, 2024, encompassing a total of 417 anime titles.
Festival Dates
The Tokyo Anime Award Festival 2025 will be held from March 7th to March 10th in Ikebukuro, Tokyo.
‘Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End’ – A Closer Look
Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, has gained significant acclaim for its unique approach to the fantasy genre. The series follows the elf mage Frieren as she reflects on her long life and relationships with her former adventuring companions. The anime adaptation is produced by Madhouse. The first 28-episode season aired from September 2023 to March 2024, and a second season has been announced.
The series has also received several other awards and nominations, including:
- IGN Best Anime of the Year 2024
- Anime Trending Awards for Anime of the Year, and various character awards.
- Nominated for the Magnolia Award for Best Animation and Best Storytelling
The manga series, written by Kanehito Yamada and illustrated by Tsukasa Abe, has sold over 22 million copies and has also won several awards, including the 14th Manga Taisho Award, the 25th Annual Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize’s New Creator Prize, the 69th Shogakukan Manga Award, and the 48th Kodansha Manga Award.
Conclusion
The Tokyo Anime Award Festival 2025 recognized a diverse range of talents and works, highlighting the continued strength and innovation within the animation industry. Look Back and Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End stood out as the top contenders in their respective categories, while other individual and fan-favorite winners also made their mark. The festival’s recognition of lifetime achievements underscores the lasting impact of those who have contributed to the animation world over many years. The event in March will celebrate these achievements and foster further growth within the animation community.
